Logic Masters Deutschland e.V.

Normal sudoku rules apply

Normal min/max rules apply. All inequality signs bordering 2 cells are valid. E.g. the digit in R2C1 must be strictly less than each of the digits in R1C1,R2C2, and R3C1. Similarly, the digit in R3C1 must be strictly greater than each of the digits in R2C1,R3C2,and R4C1.

Let a cycle denote the path of cells created by starting from any cell in the grid, then successively going to the column in the same row as indexed by that cells digit. E.g. a cell in column 4 had a digit of 5, the next cell in that cycle would be in column 5 of that same row. If column 5 had a digit of 4, then this would point back to column 4 completing the cycle

Let the order of a cycle denote the number of cells in a cycle. For the same scenario as above with column 4 containing a 5, and column 5 containing a 4, that would form an order-2 cycle.

In addition to normal min/max rules, inequality symbols are valid when comparing the orders of the cells. E.g. if R2C1 had order 4, then the orders of cells R1C1, R2C2, and R2C3 must be strictly greater than 4. Similarly, the order of R3C1 must be strictly greater than the order of R2C1,R3C2, and R4C1.

n.b. Theses are all strict inequalities so the orders of the cells separated with an inequality symbol will never be equal to each other.

Cells with a cage have an order equal to the cell's digit. E.g. if a caged cell was a 6, it must be in an order-6 cycle. Not all possible cages are necessarily given.